The Faerie Hounds of York, Arden Powell
The Faerie Hounds of York did not quite go the places I expected it to. It started off with Loxley finding himself in a fairy ring, rescued by a gruff but kind stranger, Thorncress. Warned to leave the area and get himself to London, away from Faerie influence, Loxley quickly finds himself under Thorncress’s care again. A bond is forming between them, as Thorncress tells Loxley he will help him solve his mystery and get free of the Faerie… if it’s possible.
There’s one hell of a moment with this book which I didn’t expect, given the genre; I shouldn’t say too much unless I spoil the impact, because it turned a story I was mildly enjoying into something more intriguing for me. Some aspects of the romance genre are still here, but there’s a subversion of certain expectations which put me on the back foot. I shouldn’t say too much about that!
I enjoyed the characters and the bond they form, but that moment of subverted expectation might’ve been the best bit — I could otherwise have wished for more build-up, more familiarity with the inner lives of the characters (particularly Thorncress). On the other hand, then there’d be less mystery… In any case, definitely enjoyable.
I haven’t heard of this book before. It looks intriguing. Does it have any similarities to Silver in the Wood?
Jenna @ Falling Letters recently posted…The Last Voyage of the Karluk [NF List]
That’s… a difficult comparison to make! There are some similarities in tone, I think, but the scope is a little different — it’s less Big Events For Everyone and more “two relatively normal humans get caught up in Faerie, to their cost”. Faerie’s not much touched by what they do, it’s all personal, whereas Silver in the Wood has a bit of a bigger scope that has implications for others, IIRC.